July Bra Fit Searches

Yesterdays post was all about the random searches leading to my blog. But there are others that are not so random. Some are actual questions while others are general bra related in nature. So this post is to chat about some of those.Bra searches:
26 band bra- You are not the only one!! Being a 26 band is not easy, but there are options out there. Once I am no longer pregnant I fully expect to be back in a 26 band (I’ve only gone up to measuring 27 inches), so hopefully I’ll be posting more about 26 band bras.
32 a and 32 g bra compare What exactly are you wanting to compare? The cups or the band? Either will be incredibly different. The band on the 32A will be much smaller than the 32G, as will the cups. The band on the 32A will probably be closer to that of a 28 band. I have a photo of a 32A compared to a 28H (which holds the same volume as a 32G). I’ll share it below so you can see what I mean by the bands being similar.

Top bra- 28H Freya Naomi. Bottom bra old 32A, no brand name.

Does online bra sizing work? They can be a great start, which is what they are meant to be. No calculator is perfect, they can’t be when you have different body types to consider. But as a place to start, give them a try. Just be prepared to try several sizes around the recommended size.
Fitting bras with inverted sternum- This can be incredibly difficult. You won’t find the same fit that ladies without an inverted sternum will. You may find you need very narrow center gores to sit closer to your sternum. You may find that you need a wider gore (I’ve only seen this with someone who has a wider ribcage, not common for an inverted sternum). It may be impossible to find an underwire bra that will sit flat against your sternum. It will be hard to use that as an indicator of fit. Some ladies can’t wear an underwire at all because they do not work around the unique shape of their ribcage. But there are options!
Bra digs in the middle- There is definitely a sizing problem here. The question is what. The easiest way to diagnose would be to see you in the bra. But measurements and photos could work. It could be several different things ranging from needing to break in the bra, to the wrong size, to the bra is just not suited for you.
If my under the bust measures 28.5inches what band should I buy? This will depend on your body type and the bras. If you are in need of a D+ bra they you could be a 28 or 30 band. If you are in need of a cupsize below D you could need a 28 or 30, but depending on the maker of the bra you could also be in a 32. Each bra is constructed differently especially when you get into the differences between a regular sized bra and a full bust bra.
Side boob bra spillage Time to re-evaluate your fit! You may just need to go up in cupsize. Or you may need to find a different brand that has more width to the cup and less depth. But this definitely should not be happening!
How to prevent uniboob. What kind of uniboob are we talking about? This is a sign of a badly fitted bra, most likely small in the cups and large in the band. You want a bra to fit firmly in the band and the wire to wrap around your breasts. The bra should lift and separate, not push them together. Even a push up bra should not give the uniboob look if sized properly. Photos of Victoria’s Secret models are uniboob, not how they should look.
What does it mean if the center gore does not touch you? Unless you have a chest wall deformity that means that the cups of your bra are too small. You need to go up at least one cupsize to ensure that the cups have enough volume to hold your breasts.

Bra fitting for breast implants:
bra size calculator for breast implants- There is no calculator specifically for implants. You can use a regular calculator, just know that the profile of your implants will have an impact on the size result. For example, ladies with more projection to their implants may find that calculators size them too small. As with any size calculator, they are a guide and a place to start, they do not replace a professional fitting.
Do women with implants have to wear bras? Yes. Most definitely. Implants do not stop gravity. They may be placed under the breast tissue or muscle which will not cause support issues with the Coopers Ligaments, but they can sag. Your breast tissue can sag off the implant. The implant can stretch the bottom of the surgical pocket. There is no studies to show if wearing a proper bra can prevent complications like bottoming out or lateral displacement, but you should consider talking to your surgeon about their thoughts.
I have ultra high profile implants and cannot find a bra that fits- Well I feel your pain on this one. I also have UHP implants and find that in order to get a bra that has enough cup depth for the projection of my implants that the wires are way too wide. I’m not sure what cup range you are looking at, but if you are in the G+ range you’ll find that the cups just keep getting wider as the cups increase. I’m hoping for some luck with Ewa Michalak bras as many reviews say the wires are a bit more narrow than the rest of the bra offerings in my size range. If you are a G or below you may find that Freya works well for you. In that size range they have more depth and less width than brands like Panache. But once you get into the G+ range you are just looking at width, width, and more width.
Bra made for implants-
bras for women with implants-
These two come up a lot. There is one brand that is “made for implants” but when you consider how many different implants are available and how many different body types there are, it’s just not possible. Le Mystere no9 is “made for augmented breasts” but is not something I’d recommend to anyone. They usually only fit women with a need for a wider cup and while they are earlier post op. I’d stick with their regular range over the no9. There are a few designers that have implants, the By Caprice range stops at a G, and Alexis Smith Lingerie which stops at a G (but no double letters). I’ve not had the chance to try either of these.
How should a bra look on your implants- Exactly like it should look on regular breasts. You should have a good fit in all five areas, the band, the gore, the underwire, the cups, and the straps.
Bra wires sit low breast implants- This could be a few different things. First, if you are still healing you may not have soft settled breasts yet. You’ll need to heal more before your bras will fit properly. Second, they could be the wrong size. This is where I’d have you fill out the Help for bra fitting with implants and email me so we can find out exactly what the issue is. Depending on the profile of your implants, their size, and your bra size there could be a lot of different issues going on.
Bra not fitting underneath implants- By this do you mean that the band of the bra is not sitting right under your breasts? This is a sign of a badly fitted band and it is time to either get a fitting and do some checking of your own. Chances are you are wearing a bra that is too small in the cups and too large in the band.

Like always, if there is a bra question you can’t find the answer to you are more than welcome to shoot me an email. If I don’t know I’ll ask around and see if I can find the answer for you. I’m always happy to help!

There are a few reasons for the band differences. To start the band in the 28H bra in the photo is shorter because more of the entire bra is made by the cups. So there is less room for the band to stretch. The cups of the 32A bra make up less of the overall bra leaving more room for fabric on the band. The band fabric is what stretches. So the more fabric in the band, the more it will stretch. That is why a 32A will stretch less then a 34A, which will stretch less then a 36A,
Band sizes are relative to cup size. In the case of the 32A and a 32G, the 32G will have more space taken up by the cups. The cups are shaped differently on the 32G and will extend farther on the back of the wearer. The 32A bra will have a much more narrow cup. So the band will be longer in the wing area of the 32G bra then the 32A, while the 32A will have a longer panel under the arm. The underarm will not be stretchy while the wing to the back will. Bra construction is amazingly complicated! This is just my basic understanding, I’m sure there is more to it then that.
More stretchable fabric really makes a difference in how the band fits. So just because the 28H above and the 32A lay the same flat doesn’t mean that they will stretch the same amount. You’d need two bras in the same fabric type to judge. That is why it is important to go off the fit of each individual bra. Each brand has different fabric choices and construction. So a 32 that fits in brand X may be nice and firm in the band, but in brand Y you need a 30 because it stretches more. It varies within brands as well based on the individual bra fabrics.

I’d like to add that underwire strength can impact “stretchiness”. Having a very strong underwire means that the cups will not pull wider under the stress of being pulled around the ribcage. Conversely, and as I have experienced, having flexible underwires can contribute to feeling like a band is too loose, among other things (like making the underwires too wide, and torquing the wires so they dig into your ribcage). http://curvypear.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/the-case-for-inflexible-underwires/

Oh! Thanks for sharing that! Great post. I remember reading it a while ago. I often end up with wire stretch problems. Well multiple problems. Ideally I’d take a 26 band, so I often wear 28s altered or on a tighter hook. Which in turn pulls the wire like you describe creating hot spots of digging, cup pulling/gaping, center gore lifting, etc.